Indonesia is a multicultural country with many races scattered in all directions. There are many good cultures inherited by ancestor, or bad ones and they have became habits that are implemented in daily activity. There are contradiction habits implemented by Indonesians. For instance, take off shoes before entering a house is an example of good habits that can be found in many places in Indonesia to keep a house clean. On the contrary, throw things out of car window and do littering is one of bad habits that are easily found in the community. There are some reasons why people do those habits.
As initial, take off shoes before entering a house can be found easily in some places in Indonesia, especially in rural residents. They do this to keep clean and maintain the sanctity. The majority of Indonesian people are Muslim and they use their house not only as living house, but also they use them as place worship. It is reasonable because mosque must be clean because it is a requirement to pray. Thus, taking shoes before entering house is one of ways to keep clean.
Some people, as another reason, do this habit as a way to bring in the luck to their house. This belief is inherited by ancestor as the step that should be implemented to keep luck in life. However, this is reasonable because it will keep clean the house and by this way, it will make people willing to come. In short, taking off shoes before entering a house will bring in luck because it will make the house clean.
Keep cleaning as a good tradition should be kept and preserved and implemented in daily activity. Unfortunately, some people do the opposite or do these at the same time. They take off shoes before entering a house but in other time they throw things out of car window or do littering. They do them subconsciously because these two opposites have been habits.
Do littering is done by some people because of some reasons. Do littering is not a big problem for some people because they are not disturbed and their parents do the same thing. May be, do littering is not be a problem in the past because old people used leaves as food container and leaves are organic materials. They will be decomposed by themselves. Nowadays, people should not do the same thing because they use plastic or other materials which can’t be decomposed. Thus, some people do littering because their parents do the same thing in front of them.
Limited and inaccessible trash cans are other reason why people do littering. In some place, trash cans are available, but in other place they are not. So, some people think doing littering is fine because they are in emergency condition. They demand the government to provide trash cans before keep clean. It is reasonable but awareness in maintaining the cleanliness is the most important one and it is not solely the government’s responsibility.
We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors but we borrow it from our children. This quote shows us that keep clean and environment should be done by every people in this world. Indonesians should be able to distinguish good and bad custom and traditions. Good traditions should be implemented and the bad ones should be left.
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